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Twenty years ago, nearly 300 first- and second-year Consortium students gathered at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Atlanta for the 30th Orientation Program & Career Forum. In addition to being a “round-number” anniversary for The Consortium, several other events made it a milestone year.

Phyllis Scott Buford had assumed the role as The Consortium’s third leader. Wallace L. Jones, the second leader, had just retired. Luminaries from Consortium schools, companies and the alumni community gathered to thank and honor him for his service. And in Wally’s honor, The Consortium awarded its first Wallace L. Jones Fellowship, a tradition that has continued through the ensuing 20 years.

Kevin Joy (Washington University, ’98) received the first WLJ fellowship; in his thank-you note to Wally, he spoke of being “deeply moved” by the honor.

“Under your stewardship, The Consortium has matured from a concept at Washington University to a multimillion dollar organization which boasts an impressive array of graduates,” Joy wrote.

Later in his 1996 letter, he included this eerily contemporary remark: “In an era where our government seems increasingly more concerned about partisan politics than the welfare of our children, The Consortium stands as a shining example of how academia and business can work together to make a dramatic impact upon our society.”

‘Even More Critical Now’Today, after a career that’s carried him from IBM, to Goldman Sachs, to New York Life, Joy is now an owner and regional director for Weitz Investment Management, a boutique money management firm based in Nebraska.

“It’s easy to say because The Consortium has been around since 1966, and because of the level of success these graduates have had, that the problem of diversity has been solved,” Joy said during a visit to The Consortium’s headquarters Aug. 23. “But I don’t think it has. We’ve made progress. But the mission of The Consortium is even more critical now. We’ve societally become complacent.”

He points at recent examples from Ferguson, Dallas, Baton Rouge and his home turf of Milwaukee as examples of simmering racial discord that as a community, he believes we’re not addressing openly.

“We find ourselves in a place where we have some hard questions we have to ask ourselves societally,” he said. “Unless you try to continually and proactively think about issues, you assume everything is OK. Certainly, recent events suggest everything is not OK.”

Beyond that, organizations such as The Consortium have contributed to building a pipeline for people of color to enter Corporate America, but companies aren’t doing enough, Jay said, to hang onto them. Retention is a huge problem.

“You’ve got to figure out how to keep people there to have active and vibrant careers,” he said.

Take the Opportunity or You’re FiredJoy worked for IBM for seven years before the itch to get his MBA overtook him. Originally considering a part-time executive MBA program, friends turned him on to The Consortium and he reconsidered. But even when the fellowship offer came, he hesitated. “It was a huge decision to leave my career, leave Milwaukee, leave my career.”

His girlfriend at the time—now his wife, Susan Joy—helped persuade him The Consortium was a once-in-a-lifetime chance he couldn’t pass up. His boss was even more persuasive: “He said, ‘If you don’t take this opportunity, I will fire you.’ Both of them recognized the importance of this opportunity even before I did.”

Now, Joy mentors students and early-career professionals regularly. He and his wife have funded a scholarship targeting African American students at his undergraduate alma mater, Carnegie-Mellon University (which became a Consortium school after he graduated) in the name of his mother, Sandra Crawley. And he volunteers on the board of the Milwaukee chapter of City Year, which provides diverse tutors and mentors to keep students in school and on track.

“We’re trying to make sure we’re reaching back,” Joy said. “As someone who has reached whatever level of success I’ve had, it’s an obligation to figure out how we can reach back and broaden the conversation we’re having.”

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Our corporate and fund development team is a hearty band of mostly newcomers to The Consortium, responsible for building, cultivating and maintaining our organization’s engagement with corporate partners and our network of more than 9,000 alumni.

Anthony J. Davis

Under the leadership of Vice President for Development Anthony J. Davis, The Consortium has secured relationships with more than 80 corporate partnerships generating more than $120 million of scholarship revenue in support of MBA student matriculation.

With a background in philanthropic giving and fund development, starting with his work at his alma mater, Livingstone College, Anthony’s leadership has also enabled The Consortium to celebrate a 534 percent increase in student giving, along with a 167 percent increase in the total number of individual donors — growing the individual giving program from 452 donors to 1208 donors in its first year.

Now, his new team is freshly focused in particular on building alumni engagement and developing opportunities to assist corporate partners with their needs for experienced hires, which will mean helping them tap into our alumni network for prospects.

You and I will probably interact when…you need to connect with Anthony—either to evaluate the partnership or to develop a strategy for engaging student talent.

Angel P. McKayAngel McKay

St. Louis, Mo.

Education: Webster University, bachelor’s in communications with an emphasis in public communications and a minor in religious studies. Also, I will complete my masters in nonprofit management and leadership from Webster University in December.

My business card says I’m…manager, corporate development.

What I actually do is…manage and cultivate corporate relationships, which lead to fund development generated from The Consortium’s corporate partners in order support the fulfillment of our mission. Additionally, I prepare grants and support overarching development efforts.

People are surprised when they find out that I…was originally a music theater major and I am involved in music and performing arts outreach programs alongside my hubby.

I wish you wouldn’t ask me to…do anything outdoors. So picnics, outdoor sports, fishing, and golfing are all out of the question because of the mosquitos and grass. However, I love the beach. Clearwater and Laguna are my favorite off-season spots to hang out.

The best part of my job is…having the opportunity to merge my professional experience, education, core values, and creativity with an organization whose mission is aimed at connecting talented underrepresented minorities and corporations in an effort to create a culture of diversity within the American workforce.

You and I will probably interact when…you would like to discuss development opportunities, corporate partnerships, the annual fund, OP underwriting — or you need a little encouragement (shout to the Morale Committee).

What I actually do is…engage and build relationships with our students and alumni to promote a spirit of advocacy, volunteerism and stewardship. Interact with member school representatives to establish a mutually beneficial partnership.

People are surprised when they find out that I…share the same birthday with my mom and great aunt and uncle – who are siblings.

I wish you wouldn’t ask me to…stay up late. Nine o’clock is usually my limit.

The best part of my job is…getting to know alumni.

You and I will probably interact when…I give you a personal call!

Cathy WeisbrodCathy Weisbrod

St. Louis, Mo.

Education: Southeast Missouri State University, bachelor’s in general studies. Oh, and Cor Jesu Academy High School (It’s a St. Louis thing).

My business card says I’m…corporate relations manager.

What I actually do is…serve as a steward to corporate partners.

People are surprised when they find out that I…have five sisters and one brother.

I wish you wouldn’t ask me to…never mind! I’m adventurous. You can ask me to do just about anything.

The best part of my job is…meeting the corporate partners face-to-face at OP after I had been communicating with them virtually for six months.

You and I will probably interact when…you need assistance, have a question, or need information.

Brian WesleyBrian Wesley

Chicago – The City of Wind!

Education: Tennessee State University (the greatest HBCU to ever exist), bachelor’s in accounting; THE Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota, MBA; and, finally, Cornell University, HR/Diversity Management.

What I actually do is…connect our corporate partners seeking mid- to executive-level talent for their career opportunities with our talented and highly skilled alumni to create the ultimate employment connection.

People are surprised when they find out that I… played a supporting role (well sort of) in the Academy Award-winning movie The Green Mile.

I wish you wouldn’t ask me to…go for a walk, anywhere, in the summer months. If it’s not 68 degrees or less, forget about it. I’ll drive or Uber!

The best part of my job is…working with two great elements of the Consortium organization — our fantastic alumni and our great corporate partners — right at the intersection of opportunity and preparation.

You and I will probably interact when…you’re either looking for mid-career to executive-level talent or a new career opportunity.

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One of the cornerstones of The Consortium’s community is our ability to stay in touch. We want to be able to find you. We want you to be able to find us. We want our alumni members to be able to find each other. And we want you and our corporate partners to be able to find each other when the right time — or the right job — comes up. Yes, corporate partners are potential employers of Consortium alumni. But only if they can find you.

That’s why we frequently remind you to keep your CGSM Online profile up to date. CGSM Online is our membership database and the better your information, the better we can serve you and the rest of the community.

Need help with access?We certainly understand that in these days of a million passwords, it’s hard to keep track. There’s a “lost password” option available with CGSM Online.

Also, if you’ve lost access to the email address you used when you set up your account with CGSM Online, that’s OK, too. Please contact Jeff Farris, our senior manager for database operations. His contact info is available on our staff page.

How to update your CGSM Online profileLog into CGSM Online.

The CGSM Online login screen. Use this to update your profile in CGSM Online.

From the Dashboard menu select Prepare > My Profile.

Second screen used to update your profile in CGSM Online.

On the “Your Summary” page click the edit icons to update Contact Information or Account Info. to update constituent information.

Third screen you need to update your account information in CGSM Online.

The final step after all information is updated is to click the Save button.

ForumBlogs - GMAT Club’s latest feature blends timely Blog entries with forum discussions. Now GMAT Club Forums incorporate all relevant information from Student, Admissions blogs, Twitter, and other sources in one place. You no longer have to check and follow dozens of blogs, just subscribe to the relevant topics and forums on GMAT club or follow the posters and you will get email notifications when something new is posted. Add your blog to the list! and be featured to over 300,000 unique monthly visitors

You said you were probably never going to go back. College is a distant memory now that you’re a few years into your career. You remember the first year out was a little rough, but life seems to have stabilized. All is well, right?

Well, not exactly. Many millennials are doing just fine, but they’re not where they want to be. A 2013 Gallup poll stated that 55 percent of college graduates were not engaged at work. Maybe even more alarming: 16.7 percent of grads reported that they were actively disengaged.

It’s not difficult to speculate why. We’re ambitious people. Every time you open up Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, there’s a success story. Your peers are making a difference in the world — either that, or they’re making more money than you. How do you get there?

Sound familiar? It’s a scenario many potential MBA candidates face, but it’s not the only one. Here are some other reasons from my book, After School:

You feel like you’re underpaid and want a promotion and salary boost. Sharmila said that she came to the realization that she could go back to school for her MBA and more than double her current salary in the entertainment industry. She had to consider getting an MBA.

You want to move into a new industry or function. Having worked in the nonprofit field for years, Amrita saw she could add strategic consulting to her growing skill set to help develop businesses. The MBA presented a good opportunity to add those skills.

You want to start a business, but you’re not sure how to get started. Louis was working as a business analyst but had his sights on entrepreneurship and venture capital. Two years in an MBA program would give him the exposure and time needed to break into that world.

You hate your job and need an excuse to leave. Early in his career in insurance, Olu decided that he wanted to do something more impactful. He was willing to consider getting an MBA to help him make that kind of change.

My personal situation was a combination of the above. In my pre-business school role, I began to ask why certain decisions were being made at a higher level. Now, I can be pretty inquisitive when I want to be, so this should not have been out of the ordinary.

When I realized no one had answers for me, I began to think of ways I could get myself in positions where I could make the decisions. This is when I began to consider going back to school for an MBA.

I was originally planning on going part time, but my friend and mentor asked me to reconsider. She was an alumna of The Consortium and Management Leadership for Tomorrow who thought both programs would be a good fit for me. The rest is history.

It’s completely normal to feel unsatisfied. I’d argue that it means you’re motivated. As you progress, an important thing to realize is that finding your niche is not so much figuring out what you want to do, but figuring out what you don’t want.

I say that to say this: The choice of going back to school is often one of a departure from what you used to do. If you are ready to head down this path, you need to prepare yourself mentally for the fact that getting your MBA means you’re about to head into uncharted territory.

The skills you had before will be important, but you will be expected to operate on a higher level. These days I’m often called on to prove myself, but I like the challenge. That’s why I got my MBA.

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A Consortium alumni survey in November has yielded several initiatives here at headquarters responding to needs our community has shared — and one that we apparently anticipated before the survey even happened.

Nearly 4,400 alumni received a link to the online survey on Nov. 10, and then again on Nov. 18. The results of the survey indicated that Consortium fellows wanted us to help them connect with career opportunities; to provide more opportunities to network; and to create more outreach from The Consortium itself.

Alumni from nearly every Consortium school responded to the 2015 survey.

Based on the Consortium alumni survey results — and additional strategic planning at The Consortium — we’ve launched a number of initiatives that tie directly to the priorities alumni identified.

For example, we’ve created a new position at The Consortium dedicated to working with corporate partners and alumni to fill positions that demand experienced hires. We actually introduced the new assistant vice president, Brian Wesley, in a blog post recently. There, Brian described his role to “take inventory of those unbelievably cool opportunities from our corporate partners. Then, I match them with our alumni’s fantastic experiences.”

Nearly 44 percent of Consortium alumni survey respondents said The Consortium should create more networking opportunities. Meanwhile, nearly 83 percent of respondents said alumni chapters were the way they’d “like to engage with The Consortium.”

We hope to address both of those priorities. We’re actively working on an initiative to reimagine and reinvigorate our regional alumni chapters. A pilot group is in place to develop plans and alumni should have received an email recently with information about the process.

More Engagement Through MediaOn the subject of engagement with alumni, the next three priorities for alumni engagement are initiatives that have already been underway. Forty-six percent of respondents said they’d like to see The Consortium provide more information and outreach on social media.

At the same time, 50 percent of respondents said “email outreach” and 40 percent said “newsletter” when asked about ways they’d like to engage with The Consortium. As it happens, we began an email newsletter for alumni just days before the survey went out.

The first Alumni Focus newsletter launched on Nov. 2 and goes out in the early evening on the first Sunday of every month. It includes profiles of alumni, donors, and students, as well as frequent features about the rich history of The Consortium or organization news. Here’s a link to the most recent edition, which went out on Sept. 4. If you’re not getting the newsletter, please let Jeff Farris know. You can find his contact information on the staff page.

Small SampleWhile we did take much of the feedback from the survey to heart, we must note that the response to the Consortium alumni survey was relatively small. Less than 5 percent of recipients responded to the survey. The ones who did were heavily skewed toward the most recent classes.

Fifty-one percent of responses were from the class of 2010 and later. Twenty-eight percent were from the classes between 2000 and 2009. The other 21 percent were pre-2000 classes.

Alumni from one school accounted for 34 responses. One school among our 18 was not represented among alumni responses.

PICTURED ABOVE: Networking opportunities were among the highest priority for respondents to the 2015 Consortium alumni survey. Students networking at the corporate receptions during the 50th annual Orientation Program & Career Forum in St. Louis in June 2016.

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Vaughn is also a long-time member of the Consortium’s Eagle Club, among the most dedicated donors to the organization. In our wide-ranging Q&A, Vaughn said “it should not be difficult to identify the Eagle Club as a viable choice” for Consortium alumni.

How did you first learn of The Consortium and what compelled you to apply for a fellowship?

A non-Consortium MBA alumnus first informed me of The Consortium and encouraged me to apply. The fellowship was an added incentive as well as the list of schools and the geographic diversity.

What did you do between undergraduate school and your MBA?

I chose to take a job in banking on the west coast immediately after finishing my undergraduate degree in economics. After several years, I returned to the east coast and worked with a small family business until following my fiancée to Chapel Hill, where she was completing her residency in psychiatry. It was there that we made plans to return to the west coast and, at the time, The Consortium had only one school in California.

Why have you decided to become so deeply involved financially with The Consortium? How would you persuade someone to become a member of the Eagle Club?

After finishing my MBA and accepting a job with the school, I initially believed my employment was an in-kind repayment or, at the very least, a generous opportunity to give back to The Consortium. However, as I became aware of the Eagle Club and witnessed Sherry Wallace (director of admissions at UNC) make a cash donation, I was encouraged to do more. She set a fine example for others to follow.

So, if more Consortium alumni find themselves in a position to be able to “pay it forward” it should not be difficult to identify the Eagle Club as a viable choice. During the OP, each of the respective schools does an excellent job in pursuit of a 100 percent participation rate in fundraising, as well as making a sizable financial contribution. This challenge should continue once students leave their respective schools to increase the numbers in the Eagle Club. There are many more successful alumni in the ranks of The Consortium.

How would you advise Consortium fellows to get the most out of their membership after they receive their MBA and move on?

Simply stay involved. Stay connected. Social media now makes it almost impossible not to be aware of the changes happening at the schools or in The Consortium.

To become a Consortium member, you had to show a demonstrated commitment to our mission. How have you carried that forward through today?

Black and brown and red and white are part of the rainbow that continues to make up the diversity of The Consortium. I worked for more than 20 years recruiting students who would add value to the ever-changing complexion of corporate America. One student, one alumnus, one successful career at a time makes a huge difference.

In what other ways does your work — personally or professionally — align with our mission?

As mentioned, my work was the work of the Consortium. Our missions were perfectly aligned.

Why did you stay with USC after your MBA? And what do you do now with accepted.com?

A dean at USC, Mark Zupan, recruited me and pushed me to support his efforts to make a difference. My only regret is that I did not follow him to Arizona and, later, to Rochester where he became the dean of another Consortium school.

Today, at accepted.com, I am afforded another opportunity to continue my effort to inform prospective candidates in pursuit of an MBA. As the list of Consortium schools has grown, many of these aspirational applicants are considering member schools of the Consortium, making it easy for me to engage them and answer their questions.

Where would you like to see The Consortium go in its next 50 years? Where are our growth or improvement opportunities, from your perspective?

In a multicultural climate and perpetually evolving corporate environment, there will always be a place for an organization such as The Consortium. New companies today, such as those in the Silicon Valley, are seriously lacking in being representative of the people who buy and use their products. America is not without its challenges but must continue to be the shining example for the rest of the world. Inclusivity requires a watchdog just as freedom requires laws.

The Consortium will continue to face challenges ahead that will require creative solutions. Its mission will morph with the unpredictable politics and diverse populations of tomorrow. Opportunities to strengthen its partnership with the schools and companies will never cease.

How has the climate for diversity in U.S. business helped or hindered you on your path? Has that climate changed over the years? Have you seen ebbs and flows? In what way?

Obama’s election in 2008 allowed some to believe that racial problems in America had been overcome or that we were seriously on the road to recovery. What we have seen though is that these issues have surfaced rather than been laid to rest or dormant and that our collective goals are forever intertwined with race, culture, language, politics and business. Schools are challenged to enhance their curriculums, to recruit and train the best students, to shape an inclusive business environment that can be both profitable and progressive.

When is the last time you referred someone—either a student prospect or a business associate—to The Consortium? What was the conversation like?

Every week I have a conversation about the Consortium. How could I not?

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Separation from friends and family. Remembering how to study again. Breaking the back of the GRE or GMAT. Managing the time to apply against the rest of life’s demands. Finding a school that fits. These are the common themes five Consortium students in the class of 2018 shared about the process of starting business school.

All five agreed the experience so far has exceeded their expectations.

“Even though business school is a test of grit and determination, I have loved every experience thus far,” Elva told us. “I do not exaggerate when I say I cannot wait for the next two years.”

The Consortium posed five questions to the five students several weeks ago. We focused on questions that looked at their experience of starting business school. We weave together their responses below.

What compelled you to consider business school in the first place?For some, starting business school meant an opportunity to make a career pivot. Tobby said business school represented a chance to expand his world view.

“I saw business school not as a means to an end, but a process with compounding effects,” he said. “Also, I heard business school is some of the best two years of your life. How could I pass that up?”

A Consortium alum, an associate brand manager for a company, actually planted the idea in Tite’s head: “It was a riveting conversation.” That led to an exploration of the consumer packaged goods industry and the specialty of brand management. With time, she realized “that an MBA from a top program, complemented with my experience, would help me become a well-rounded marketer and strategic leader.”

Global experience and exposure in part motivated Alejandro toward an MBA program. “I sought out deeper understanding of other cultures by working with international classmates,” he said. “Taking advantage of travel opportunities—including spending a semester abroad—will also introduce me to best practices when working with diverse, multicultural teams.”

For Elva, the experience represented a personal challenge to overcome statistics seemingly stacked against her. “Ever since reading a staggering stat that Latinos severely under-indexed in post-graduate degrees, I knew I would make it my mission to get one.”

What concerns or hardships did you have to overcome in order to realistically consider business school?Tazia summed up the overriding concern all five of our students shared: “The scariest part was giving up the security of the life I had built in order to pursue something uncertain,” she said. “Saying goodbye to my clients and friends at work was a lot harder than I expected.”

The next nearly universal hardship: Adapting back into the role of student. They set up study times and created a preparation discipline around preparing for the GRE or GMAT. All five students commented on the difficulty of the test and their need to focus on preparation.

“You are working, volunteering and doing a million other things. Now, you throw in GMAT/GRE prep, MBA research, coffee chats and writing your personal essay,” Tobby said. “You will have to make some sacrifices.”

Tite said striking the right balance requires exceptional time management skill: “Testing for business school is an art form one must practice to perfect, especially if you have work/life responsibilities,” she said. “Every hour and minute of your day has to be accounted for.”

What was the most difficult part of applying to business school?Here, the GRE and GMAT tests figured prominently again. But they weren’t the only challenges our students called out. For Alejandro, it was the uncertainty of not knowing exactly what was ahead. For Tazia, it was the tremendous time commitment, balancing work, family and “extracurricular” requirements with school research, test preparation and essay writing.

Ah, the admission essays: Tobby and Tite flagged those as a particularly challenging part of starting business school. “It was a tension of the heart and the mind,” Tobby said. “I wanted to display my authentic self and tell the most compelling story, but within the B-school framework.”

Tite found it helpful to vigorously seek out help and recruiting sounding boards during the process, particularly as she visited various campus diversity weekend events.

“I was fortunate to meet some wonderful current students at various schools who graciously offered advice,” she said. “Make the most out of your visit to the Consortium member schools and leverage meeting wonderful people, like those of us on this blog, to help alleviate your stress. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. We’re here to help.”

Admissions counselors speak often about “fit”—finding the B-school that fits you. What were you looking for? Why did your choice ultimately meet those needs?Tite spoke poetically of the need to visit not only the campus, but the outlying community. “I had to seek out what factors make it a place that I could spend the next two years of my life — roughly 730 sunrises,” she said. She recalls being “surprised and delighted” by the level of diversity in Rochester, where she landed.

Diversity was key to all our students, along with class sizes and a sense of “shared success” and a team culture. Nothing substitutes for personal visits to campus, Elva said. “Visit every school you have on your list — and then visit those you never considered.”

Tobby expected to be challenged in ways that went beyond textbooks and management theory.

“I wanted schools that could push me to grow,” he said. “I looked for schools that really demonstrated a diverse class that could challenge how I thought about myself, the business and the world.”

“Fit,” Tazia said, “is everything.”

How has your experience so far lived up to (or fallen short of) your expectations?All five of our students felt overjoyed by the experience so far.

“The collaborative culture is exactly what I was expecting,” Tazia said, “with students always willing to help other classmates.”

They spoke of the immediate growth they experienced during their transition and while launching into classwork and the broad exposure to so many points of view: From industry perspectives, to corporate job functions to diverse perspectives.

Most appreciated the value of connecting with other Consortium students — both within and outside of their programs — ahead of starting business school. “Although I’ve only known my classmates for a few months,” Tite said, “it genuinely feels like I’ve known this great community of people for years.”

PICTURED ABOVE: The Consortium follows five students starting business school through the entire two-year process. From left: Alejandro Bolívar-Cervoni, Elva Garza, Tite Jean-Pierre, Tazia Middleton and Tobby Yi.

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The Seattle Consortium alumni chapter welcomed the Consortium graduates and their spouses to Optimism Brewery on Sept. 21, bringing in several alumni from the University of Southern California; the University of California, Los Angeles; the University of Wisconsin; The University of Texas at Austin; Cornell University; the University of Michigan and more.

All the Consortium alumni now work at local companies such as Amazon, Microsoft and Starbucks. While alumni were able to reconnect on their latest work and life stories, the newest class was introduced with a warm welcome to what is one of the fastest growing city chapters.

As the class of 2016 was greeted and introduced, Consortium alumni stressed the importance of strengthening the chapter’s community as it continues to expand. In 2017, the Seattle chapter expects to make a concerted effort to build more frequent events, generate active contributions, and create legitimate infrastructure.

The Consortium thanks alumnus Marco Ramirez (Texas, 2015) for providing the photo and information for this blog post.

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This guest blog post on networking advice was written by Ramsey Jay Jr., Consortium fellow (Dartmouth, 2005) and a Wall Street-trained finance professional. He’s also the author of the forthcoming book, Empowering Dreamers to Become Achievers.

Networking is defined as interacting with other people to exchange information and develop contacts — especially to further one’s career. While I appreciate the legitimacy of the aforementioned dictionary reference, I believe the most practical networking advice is to answer a question you will undoubtedly face as you progress on your academic and professional journey:

How do you stand out among standouts?

This question should frame the backdrop and govern your practical networking process as you matriculate to B-school and progress professionally.

Rest assured, you are embarking on one of the most competitive application processes of your life. Reviewing the 2018 MBA class profile at top-ranked business schools shows that the class averages a 3.6-plus undergraduate GPA, 700-plus GMAT score and four-plus years of world-class work experience. These candidates are also stalwart champions for change in the community, etc.

Get Ready to Take a ChanceI remember how incredibly humbled I was to have been included as one of the 237 members of the class of 2005 at the Tuck School of Business.

As it turns out, Tuck was also where I learned to adhere to the principle that will help you produce a competitive MBA application, while developing a robust network, enabling you to stand out among standouts: Get comfortable with being uncomfortable.

This principle is detailed in chapter one of my book, Empowering Dreamers To Become Achievers. There, I share my story about joining Tuck’s Asia Business Club as one of my first acts toward getting comfortable with being uncomfortable.

I figured the experience would challenge some of my preconceived thinking and open my eyes about Asian culture, business and people. I ended up being correct on all three counts. It was a terrific growth experience. And ultimately, serving as a member of the Asia Business Club is what led to delivering my first professional networking workshop!

You only discover new abilities, overcome fears, create things of extraordinary value and experience real fulfillment when you are out on the edge, stretching yourself outside of that zone of familiarity.

Challenge YourselfAs you think about the nuances of the MBA application process and your job search, it is prudent to give your competition the benefit of the doubt: Their pure paper profile is probably as good as yours.

As a result, I challenge you to revisit some of the most uncomfortable experiences of your past, extract the lessons you learned, marry them into your current narrative, and allow that combined composite to frame the totality and uniqueness of your candidacy and dreams of the future.

Furthermore, it is also that intentional act of expanding your comfort zone, giving yourself the opportunity to convert strangers into supporters who will unearth new capacities of your mind and body.

So go ahead and get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Have faith that it will result in you becoming a standout among standouts with a network replete with the depth and breadth encompassing the totality of who you truly are.

Keep dreaming!

Ramsey Jay Jr. is a Wall Street-trained finance professional with more than a decade of global investment management experience. As founder of Ramsey Jay Jr. & Associates, Ramsey is a widely recognized expert on leadership development, communication consulting and international motivational speaking. Ramsey earned his undergraduate degree from California State University, Fresno and his MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College as a Consortium fellow in 2005. His forthcoming book is Empowering Dreamers to Become Achievers. Preorder the book on his website.

PICTURED ABOVE: Ramsey speaking to a group at the South Central Scholars Winter Career Conference on Dec. 19 at the University of Southern California. South Central Scholars provides scholarship support and mentorship to students from south central Los Angeles who are interested in attending college. Ramsey is a member of the South Central Scholars board of directors.

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The Consortium’s 50th anniversary in St. Louis was a time of celebration, but also a time for reevaluation. Returning to this year’s Orientation Program & Career Forum as an alumna and corporate partner allowed me to relive the excitement and immense pride that I once felt as an admit to The Consortium and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, but also incited a true moment of awakening.

As the event progressed, I began to wonder: How have I lost touch with such an impactful organization so quickly? And did others share my perspective? The truth is, while The Consortium does an excellent job of increasing diversity in business education, Consortium alumni participation has remained a challenge.

During the Consortium’s 50th anniversary gala, the need to re-engage the Consortium alumni network took center stage as The Consortium highlighted the dismal alumni-giving rate. Shocked by these statistics, I began to share my concerns with two University of Southern California Marshall School Business alumni: Amy Patel and Stella Ashaolu.

After further conversation, the three of us soon discovered that we all started our careers in new cities, but lacked the network to engage with other professionals and within the community in general. Although the Consortium has more than 8,500 alumni, we struggled to tap into this network because the alumni networks didn’t have easily accessible channels that we were aware of.

This dilemma prompted us to put a plan in action to re-engage our respective alumni regional networks with a renewed focus on sustainable leadership, applicable professional events, and increased alignment with The Consortium’s mission.

We began to host weekly conference calls to identify the best possible ways toward re-engaging our regional alumni networks. The conference calls prompted us to conduct direct research with alumni, staff and former alumni leaders.

This collaboration resulted in a uniform strategy to re-engage Consortium alumni in three flagship locations: Chicago, Austin and southern California. As we begin to embark on this new journey, we urge all alumni to re-engage with the Consortium, especially those located in one of these flagship locations. Reach out to us on LinkedIn and tell us how you want to be involved.

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We appreciated the chance to meet Eric Allen, president and co-founder at Admit.me, a few weeks ago when he stopped for a visit at Consortium headquarters. He spoke with our director of recruiting, Danni Young, to learn more about who we are and what we do.

He also put together a cool video about his visit. Get to know Eric and Danni a little better here.

In his blog post about his visit, Eric pretty well nailed the details about why The Consortium is a big deal for prospective MBAs, current students, alumni, schools and corporate partners.

Admit.me is one of The Consortium’s strategic partners and we were thrilled to have the chance to meet Eric over some ribs and good conversation.

Join The Consortium and Admit.me at our upcoming webinar on Oct. 18 at 7 p.m. central time. Don’t forget to register for the free event. There, participants will learn the top 10 proven tips and strategies to maximize your MBA admissions success and more about how you can take advantage of the Consortium’s resources.

PICTURED ABOVE: Consortium Recruiting Director Danni Young with Eric Allen, president and co-founder of Admit.me, during a recent visit to The Consortium.

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We were privileged to hear from Emerson’s CEO, David Farr, during our 50th annual Orientation Program & Career Forum in June. Emerson is a global Fortune 500 company and a longtime partner of The Consortium. It’s recognized as a positive workplace for women engineers by Women Engineer magazine this year, and — for the fourth consecutive year — as a global innovator by Thomson Reuters.

We asked Steve Pelch, Emerson’s senior vice president for organizational planning and human resources, for insights and advice to young executives looking at corporate leadership positions.

What advice would you offer candidates about doing due diligence on employers?First, decide whether you looking for a career with a company or a job with a company. While it sounds simple, it can set the tone for the conversation. Oftentimes, you need to look inward first, deciding on what type of role or industry you most desire. Be honest with yourself. Prior to the interview, get a wide range of perspectives, besides what is on the internet. Speak to alums, current employees, past employees, customers, suppliers, analysts…

What sets some interviewees apart in this area?At Emerson, we look for strong leaders — of all types. We value both deep functional expertise and broad talent and potential. Know yourself and the needs of the company. We look for people who are driven, competitive in nature, with a thirst to succeed and lead. We also want to make sure there is a proper fit between the needs and wants of the interviewee and the company culture. In the end, it does no one any good to try to force-fit a situation when the needs and wants of the interviewee and company climate do not align.

What mistakes do interviewees make when they talk about themselves or their knowledge of the company?There is a balance to be struck between doing your homework and researching a company prior to the interview; not being prepared, or having put forth no effort prior to the interview is, more often than not, a showstopper for me. Similarly, simply reciting facts and figures from the website does not demonstrate knowledge or interest. Try to identify the intersections between the company’s needs and your relevant skills. Identify where you see yourself excelling, or even what intrigues and is of interest to you. Let this guide your conversation.

Conversely, what makes an exceptional candidate stand out?The proper blend of IQ and EQ. In today’s world, while being smart (IQ) may be the price of admission, a candidate must possess and display the requisite emotional competencies (EQ) as well. These could include self-awareness, assertiveness, communication, empathy, teamwork, etc. Be prepared to answer questions such as: What sets you apart? What are your towering strengths? Why would you be the best candidate to join the company? Be confident and show pride in sharing your achievements and strengths, but never lose sight of your humility.

PICTURED ABOVE: Steve Pelch, Emerson’s senior vice president for organizational planning and human resources, opening the first session at the 2016 Orientation Program in June.

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Consortium partners frequently host webinars to expose our students and alumni to employment opportunities, information about their corporate culture and how they go about recruiting and retaining team members.

Our partner Facebook took the process in a different direction on Sept. 15, hosting a Facebook Live event from its California headquarters that featured four staff members representing sales and operations, sales compensation, the Pages team and recruiting. The event was open to members of the Consortium class of 2017 when it happened, and now available more broadly.

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A growing number of business schools around the United States have shown their support for and solidarity with the #BlackLivesMatter movement — including many of the Consortium member schools.

Students around the country are gathering in massive group photos, many of which feature faculty and administrators from the business school.

“I almost cried at work looking at my #emoryfam in this picture,” wrote one Instagram user who reposted a photo from Emory University’s Goizueta Business School. “Unapologetically supporting and recognizing that #blacklivesmatter.”

Another, Rozy Amponsah, from Cornell University, commented on the photo: “I am SO PROUD to have initiated the conversation that resulted in this powerful action from my #cornellmba & #cornelllaw community.”

“From faculty to staff #ODI to our dean, to the chief of police @Cornell & her staff,” she wrote, “thank you for standing in solidarity & understanding the value an ally plays in resolving our systemic racial issues.”

haas-blm Students from Berkeley Haas School of Business/.

ucla-blm-2 Students from UCLA's Anderson School of Management via Instagram user no_cool_name.

cornell-blm Students from Cornell's Johnson Graduate School of Management via Instagram user rozyamponsah.

dartmouth-blm Students from Dartmouth's Tuck School of Business via Instagram user tuckschool.

goizueta-blm Students from Emory's Goizueta Business School via Instagram user caliryno09.

indiana-blm Students from Indiana's Kelley School of Business via Instagram user theneildeal_.

michigan-blm Students from Michigan's Ross School of Business via Instagram user ross_consortium.

stern-blm Students from NYU's Stern School of Business.

unc-blm Students from UNC's Kenan-Flagler Business School via Instagram user neekahgee.

usc-blm Students from USC's Marshall School of Business via Instagram user laju.dorothy.

texas-blm Students from UT's McCombs School of Business via Instagram user utexasmba.

yale-blm Students from Yale's School of Management via Instagram user yalesom.

The outpouring of images and support for the movement has come in response to the series of police-involved shootings that have resulted in the deaths of black men and women — in particular, recent shootings in Tulsa and Charlotte.

“I am honored to be a part of the Ross community,” Marissa Smith, president of the Ross Black Business Student Association said in an article for Clear Admit. “Because it’s clear after the turnout for today’s event that this is a community committed to driving the dialogue required to generate impactful change in our society.”

Michigan Ross Dean Scott DeRue also spoke at the photo event and rally: “We are deeply committed to developing a community that celebrates inclusion, diversity and empowerment—and we will not shy away from the difficult conversations that are necessary to get us there. I look forward to engaging in the conversation, listening to a wide range of views, and discussing ideas about how to move the school and our community forward.”

Are we missing a photo from one of our Consortium member schools? Please email a copy of the photo or a link to communications@cgsm.org and we’ll add it to the gallery.

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A women’s business leadership initiative to introduce prospects to the opportunities of an MBA education — while passing along leadership lessons they can apply immediately — has sprouted into a three-city event series in late November and early December.

Carnegie Mellon University‘s Emily Archambeault conceived of the “Perspectives on Women’s Leadership Series” in August. Within weeks, she had secured support from the leadership at the Tepper School of Business and four other business schools to create the series, which will feature lectures from key women leaders and alumnae from each school.

In addition to Carnegie Mellon, support for the leadership series comes from two other Consortium schools — Emory University and Georgetown University — and two other universities, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Vanderbilt University.

Emily Archambeault

“Our goal was to have an event that is different from the typical recruitment event,” said Archambeault, Tepper’s associate director in masters admissions who specializes in women’s recruitment. “We wanted to focus on the leadership development learning we could provide in our MBA programs. And, we want them to walk away from the event with immediate skills they can take to their job the very next day.”

She said the partnership among the five universities for the women’s business leadership series came together quickly. “Everyone has been really focused on making it happen.”

The consecutive three-day series runs in three east-coast cities and features noted faculty speakers on different topics each day.

Washington, D.C. (Nov. 29): Rebecca W. Hamilton will lead a discussion about personal branding. She is the Michael G. and Robin Psaros Chair in Business Administration, Professor of Marketing, at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business. More information about this event.

New York (Nov. 30): Leanne Meyer will lead the discussion about negotiation and advocacy. She is director of the Leadership Development and Program: CMU Leadership and Negotiation Academy for Women, at Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business. More information about this event.

Boston (Dec. 1): Daena Giardella will focus on improvisational leadership. She is senior lecturer at the MIT Leadership Center at the MIT Sloan School of Management. More information about this event.

Each event includes a 45-minute presentation by the featured speakers, followed by a 45-minute roundtable discussion with event participants and university alumnae designed to drive home the lessons.

“We wanted to test this and have a high-quality event. We focused on the three cities so we didn’t overextend ourselves,”Archambeault said. “I would love to see it grow into more cities next year, provided we get good feedback.”

Pictured above: From left: Rebecca W. Hamilton of Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business; Leanne Meyer of Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business; and Daena Giardella of MIT’s Sloan School of Management lead sessions at the inaugural Perspectives on Women’s Leadership series.

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No one can argue that Phyllis Scott Buford didn’t put her stamp on The Consortium. Today, we’ve begun another small commemoration of Dr. Buford’s life. For the balance of 2016, we’re covering postage for outgoing mail with a Phyllis Scott Buford commemorative stamp.

Since her death on June 5, while we were celebrating the 50th annual Orientation Program & Career Forum in St. Louis, we’ve had plenty of time to recall Dr. Buford’s contributions. After her leadership as The Consortium’s third CEO, corporate partners stepped more front-and-center in service to our mission.

The commemorative stamp (produced through Stamps.com‘s customization service) is certainly not meant as a definitive tribute, but we thought it would be a nice tip of our cap to Dr. Buford and her Consortium leadership from 1996 to 2002.

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Tahira Taylor realized that volunteering for the Peace Corps at both ends of the African continent means gaining a host of skills that serve her well as a Georgetown University MBA student. The second-year student and Consortium fellow recently returned from her Peace Corps experience and wrote about it on Georgetown’s blog.

“I had to create projects from the ground up through realizing what the community needed, what they were lacking, and how my skills would be able to help them fix the problem,” she wrote on Georgetown’s blog. “Additionally, I had a challenge of even convincing them that the problems I had identified were problems in the first place.”

That’s not where the work ended. Tahira also had to persuade locals that an American could help solve the problems, then she had to marshal a group of local volunteers to develop the solution in a culturally appropriate way while seeking the resources from individuals and organizations.

Tahira goes on to describe what she was looking for in her MBA experience and how that experience has gone so far. Take a look at Tahira’s blog post for more of her insights.

Above: Tahira Taylor, who served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Lesotho, is currently pursuing an MBA degree at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business. Photos courtesy of Georgetown University.

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You’ve heard of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, right? But have you heard about #GivingTuesday? It’s the Tuesday after Thanksgiving and it follows those two well-known hallmarks of holiday consumerism, Black Friday and Cyber Monday. And you can help support The Consortium on #GivingTuesday.

This year, #GivingTuesday falls on Nov. 29. This 24-hour day of giving inspires people to take collaborative action to improve their local communities and to give back in better, smarter ways to the charities and causes that celebrate and help create a better world.

The Consortium will kick off its long-awaited comprehensive campaign with #GivingTuesday. Help us reach our goal of $3.5 million by 2020. Our three-year, $3.5 million comprehensive campaign will support pipeline development, debt elimination and operational resources that will sustain and support The Consortium’s upward trajectory.

How can you join the movement and support The Consortium on #GivingTuesday?

Be an advocate for The Consortium. Tell your friends about The Consortium and encourage them to give.

Kick-off our comprehensive campaign with a meaningful donation.

Post your picture on our Facebook page or tag @cgsm_mba when you tweet a comment after making your online donation.

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First-year business student and Consortium fellow Alejandro Bolívar-Cervoni knew from a young age he wanted to get his MBA. And he knew how it could happen, thanks to Consortium family ties with his uncle, a 1980 Consortium graduate from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

“My earliest introduction to the business world was actually through my Uncle Roberto, who went into business with my dad,” said Alejandro, a student concentrating in marketing at Washington University in St. Louis. And Roberto isn’t the only one in the family with Consortium ties.

Roberto A. Oliver, Alejandro’s uncle, is vice president at Caribe Pallets & Packaging Corporation in Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico. The company buys timber in the United States, cuts it to size and produces pallets and other wood products for shipping goods. The 18-person company has contracts with companies such as Pfizer, Merck, PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, they source their wood products locally and yields revenues between $2 million and $3 million annually.

Consortium Family TiesGuillermo Garau

Roberto’s cousin, Jose Bolivar, is Alejandro’s father and the company’s president. Though technically, that makes Roberto the first-cousin-once-removed to Alejandro, the WashU student says he’s always thought of Roberto as an uncle.

Alejandro is also related to Guillermo Garau, a 2007 Consortium fellow from Indiana University-Bloomington. They consider themselves cousins: Alejandro’s father is the brother of Guillermo’s uncle’s wife. And Guillermo’s wife, Liz Lopez, is a 2008 Consortium fellow from Indiana.

Today, Guillermo is a mergers-and-acquisitions consultant for PwC and Liz works as a finance director for Grünenthal Group, both in Miami. Alejandro is one among five people Guillermo has referred for Consortium membership. “When he was looking at it, I said, ‘Look, this is the best deal I see for anyone getting an MBA,'” he said.

Liz Lopez

Alejandro’s family settled in Puerto Rico after fleeing the Castro regime in Cuba in 1960. Roberto, born Jan. 20, 1953, was about 7 when the family left. Alejandro remembers Roberto being heavily involved in the stock market and passing his knowledge about the markets and other business news to the next generation.

Roberto had graduated with an engineering degree from Georgia Tech in 1975, and returned to Puerto Rico where he worked for a pharmaceutical company. “An engineering school will teach you how to solve problems, but it doesn’t teach you a lot about business,” he said. He started taking night-school courses in business locally, “but I found out I was passing without learning, so I stopped doing that.”

Passing His Dream AlongRoberto had long dreamed of starting his own business and found a possible key to that dream when Consortium recruiters, including then-Associate Director Wally Jones, arrived in Puerto Rico looking for potential students. He applied to only one school, UNC. He was thrilled when the phone rang in the spring of 1978 and Jones was on the other end of the line, telling him he’d been accepted to both The Consortium and UNC.

“The tuition was a big deal for me,” Roberto said. “I really appreciated The Consortium as well as UNC for providing me that opportunity.”

Seven years after after graduating, returning to Puerto Rico, and working as as a consultant for then-Ernst & Whinney, Roberto saw the chance with Jose Bolivar to take over wood-products company.

“I’ve really been able to use my MBA education quite well, for my professional career as well as individually in order to create net worth for my family,” he said.

Alejandro gets the opportunity often to visit and speak with his uncle as he makes good on his own dream of getting an MBA. They recently met in New York City (see photo above) for a chance to catch up.

“The biggest word that my uncle would use to describe The Consortium was diversity,” Alejandro said. “He loved being able to connect with students from all over the country and so many cultural backgrounds. That, to him, was very important.”

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The very first Consortium grad received his MBA from the University of Wisconsin 18 months after entering the program with the first 21 Consortium recruits. Larry Harris said the accomplishment boosted his confidence so high, “It made me feel as if there was nothing I couldn’t do.”

Harris (Wisconsin, 1968) made the comment recently on a blog entry posted by the Wisconsin School of Business as part of its commemoration of 50 years as a Consortium founding school. The blog post recounted Harris’ story as he moved from the 3,000-person town where he grew up, Rayville, La., where he earned money mowing lawns or working in cotton fields, to a long career at the Upjohn pharmaceutical company.

The turning point, Harris said, came while he finished his bachelor’s degree in business administration at Southern University in Baton Rouge. That’s where he glimpsed a flyer on the wall at a local shop where he’d stopped for a drink. The flyer advertised the newly founded Consortium for Graduate Study in Business for Negroes.

“Then my life totally changed from what I thought it was going to be,” he told the Wisconsin blog. “It just shaped my whole life and career.”

Above: Larry Harris was in the first class of 21 MBA candidates to earn a fellowship through The Consortium for Graduate Study in Management, and went on to a long human resources career at Upjohn. Photo by Paul L. Newby II, courtesy of the University of Wisconsin’s Wisconsin School of Business.

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MBA Acceptance Rate by Undergraduate Major Many applicants may wonder if their undergraduate major impacts their chance of getting into business school. Admissions data suggests that your college major...